Physical exfoliants are something I used to avoid in the past because I always found them too harsh on the skin and that's why I was more into chemical exfoliants.

That said, I changed my mind last year when I started to incorporate the Clinique Pep Start Exfoliating Cleanser and then the Swanicoco Peeling Herb Pack. Why? Because I realized that some physical exfoliants can actually be pretty gentle and can really help give a brightening boost to your skin!

Ever since, I've been enjoying a scrub one a week or so.

L'Oréal launched a couple of weeks ago their new sugar scrubs and I must say I was really intrigued by their Kiwi mask (I love everything kiwi!) :D

 

 

The Purify & Unclog Face Scrub aka the Kiwi Scrub

 

 

Target: This scrub is great for sensitive skin, but be careful if your skin doesn't like fragrance because it contains natural-derived and synthetic fragrance.

 

How to use: you can use over dry skin or if you want it to be even more gentle you can wet your face first. According to L'Oréal you can use it up to 3 times a week (so yes, it's very gentle ineed).

Bonus: You can use it also to exfoliate your lips! (but L'Oréal says you shouldn't use it over chapped lips).



 

 

 

Nourish & Soften Face Scrub aka the Cacao Scrub

 

Target: dry skin!

How to use: You can use it over dry skin and massage it with wet fingers. If you want a more gentle exfoliation, you can apply it over wet skin. It can be used up to 3x a week according to L'Oréal but I think once a week would be enough.
Bonus: it can also be used to smooth and refine the lips, but don't use on chapped lips.

A few words about the ingredients: first ingredient is isopropyl palmitate, a texture enhancer and emollient, then you have sucrose for the exfoliation. Also present are some waxes and oils (soybean, apricot, sunflower, coconut) and cocoa butter. Fragrance ( natural-derived and synthetic) is also part of the ingredients.



Smooth & Glow aka the Grapeseed Scrub




Target: people who want a deep exfoliation

How to use: same as with the other 2 scrubs, you can use it over dry or wet skin. L'Oréal also says you can use it 3 times a week but I personally think 3x is too much for this scrub because this one is not as gentle as the 2 other ones.
Bonus: same as with the other scrubs of this line, you can use it over your lips to smooth them.

A few words about the ingredients: first ingredient is surcose and yes you can actually see it contains mainly sugar, that it is more concentrated in exfoliating particles than the 2 other scrubs. Note that is also contains sunflower and grape seed oils as well as coconut oil. These are great additions to make it more emollient and less harsh on the skin, it glides easily and doesn't pull on the skin. As the 2 others, it contains fragrance and has a grape oil scent, which is very pleasant in my opinion.





Pure-Clay Mask - Clear & Comfort Face Mask



I also received this clay mask from L'Oréal. This one was released last year and is part of the Pure-Clay Mask line. It's the first mask of this line I've tried and quickly, here are my thoughts.
This is a clay mask that doesn't leave the skin feeling dry or tight -probably because there is some glycerin in it, the mask doesn't dry down completely and it doesn't feel dry on the skin. That's something I like about it. It almost leaves the skin more hydrated.
Now I have to say I have only use it twice so that's not an in-depth review. I will do an update on IG if you're interested. Note that it does contain fragrance and alcohol but I didn't notice the alcohol while using it.




Garnier Charcoal Mask
And I almost forgot! Garnier has a new black sheet mask.
This is an hydrating and exfoliating sheet mask. Hydrating, as most sheet masks, because it contains glycerin and sodium hyaluronate. The chemical exfoliation comes from papain, pineapple extract, and LHA (capryloyl salicylic acid here).
LHA stands for beta-lipohydroxy acid. It's a derivative of salicylic acid that works in a similar way to exfoliate the skin and unclog pores, i.e. it's great for acne-prone skin. It's gentle than salicylic acid by the way.
I can't really say anything about the exfoliating properties because I used this mask when I was falling asleep, I let it on for ~20min, removed it and then when to bed immediately so I didn't check my skin, sorry! That said, it did feel very hydrating and I enjoyed using it. The essence (watery essence) felt nice on and the fragrance wasn't too strong. That's a sheet mask I could repurchase and I'm glad that it's not very expensive and that you can find it at the drug store.







*PR samples*